I always sigh when I see a photo somewhere on the Internet of a picture-perfect chicken coop inhabited by well-behaved chickens. Those chickens are usually right in front of the coop, pecking gently in the beautiful green grass. Then there’s a photo of the inside of the coop – and it looks cleaner than the inside of my house. The color-coordinated flowers overflowing the window boxes on the coop don’t resemble mine at all, because mine are still in the containers from Home Depot – and dead.
Well, at least I’ve got green grass. Because I certainly don’t have well-behaved chickens, either.
I was shocked, SHOCKED I SAY, to look out the back door recently and find the teenagers, Molly Brown, TopKnot, NoKnot and Spot making their way over the fence into the back yard.
Don’t do it! Don’t go there!
They have four thousand square feet of grass to peck, dirt to bathe in and animal friends to socialize with, yet over the fence they go. Aargh.
This SO much better than the other side, don’t ya think?
I chose to ignore their bad behavior. When I fed the animals and put the scratch out for the chickens, those four were so confused!
Wait! What’s this fence doing here? How do we get back there?
I chose to ignore their confusion. “You got over there, you get yourselves back,” I told them. Then I left for the evening. It was trivia night at my favorite taproom. I was not missing trivia and beer to chase those silly chickens.
When I returned around 9pm, Molly Brown and Spot were on the roost in the shed, where they belong. TopKnot and NoKnot were AWOL. I grabbed the spotlight and went looking for them. Didn’t take long. They were huddled together in the bushes, looking miserable. “Serves you right!” I said. (I have no photos, but trust me, they were very unhappy.)
I gathered them up and tucked them in the shed. They didn’t even say thank you.
The next morning we had a little chat. I told them that even though Lucy, and occasionally Scarlett, have backyard privileges…I was NOT extending the same privileges to them.
I hate it when she talks to us like that, don’t you?
But later that day…
What? Yes, I am in the backyard. Yes, I did fly over the fence again. Why do you ask?
I hate it when my reasonable barnyard rules are totally ignored by a chicken.
(On a totally different note, I’d like to thank everyone for your kind words and support both here and on my Facebook page through the highs and lows of the past few weeks. Y’all are awesome. 🙂 )
About a week after he died, I got this cast of Pumpkin’s hooves in the mail from the vet hospital at CSU. They are so wonderful.
(Shared at Little House Friday, Fabulous Friday, Simple Lives Thursday, HomeAcre Hop, Down Home Hop, Backyard Farming Connection, Tuesdays With A Twist, Maple Hill Hop, Thank Goodness It’s Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, Clever Chicks, Simple Saturdays, Farmgirl Friday, From the Farm and Old-Fashioned Friday)
I love the stories of your chicken’s escapades!!
Shirley Corwin recently posted…Tomato-Cheese Pie
Funny! A few of my teenagers have jumped the fence too. 3 flight feather trims later, it’s all good….
Girl, you just crack me up!!!
Keep the stories coming!
Too funny…especially when it is not your own chickens acting crazy!
Lucy recently posted…Vintage School Desk
Your chickens are too funny and a bit like my girls growing up!!
What a nice memory of Pumpkin!!
Suzan recently posted…SEE ROCKY CITY
Outlaws!
I have had those conversations with our chickens as well and it always lands on deaf ears:)
I love how vividly you paint your stories for us. Your girls are funny and I so know the feeling over here. Your photos and words match so perfectly.
LOVE beyond love your Pumpkin plaque…. Such sweetness.
Jen recently posted…A Glimpse of Fall And Some Catch Up…
looking forward to the day when I have my own chickens! Lots of good stuff on your blog – i do enjoy it!
oh, gosh, you are so funny. My children are like your chickens ;-). Thanks for sharing your adventures with us at Simples Lives Thursday; hope to see you again this week.
Angi @ SchneiderPeeps recently posted…Tie Dye Cookies
Thanks for such a fun article. I felt like I was there. I too do not have a “cute little hen house.” We have a real old southern farm and while the coop is functional and healthy, it is a chicken coop. My hens seem to know yours for they too are unruly and don’t seem to listen to me. I had to clip their wings to stop the escaping when I wanted them to stay in. Thanks again for such a fun read.
Rhonda
thefarmerslamp.com
Rhonda Crank recently posted…Is Your Food Really Organic?